Platform shoe and process of making the same



Sept. 13, 1949. I N. J. LISSAK 2,482,010

PLATFORM SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 194a I-MIL Mir-rag INVENTOR.

Sept. 13, 1949. N. J. LISSAK 2,482,010

PIMTF'QRM SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 Filed July 3. 1948 IN VEN TOR.

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Patented Sept. 13, 1949 PLATFORM-SHOE AND PROCESS'QF' MAKING THE SAME Nathan J. Lissak, Brockton', Mass. Application July 3, 1948, Serial No. 36,873

8 Claims. 1

This invention comprises a new and improved shoe of the platform type, and includes within its scope a novel process of making the same.

The general objects of the invention are to improve the appearance, strengthen and simplify the construction, and reduce the cost of manufacture of platform shoes. The novel method of my invention is effective in reducing cost in that it utilizes a separate forepart platform and wedge heel, which may be completely finished as independent elements of the shoe and then assembled in a manner which permits of the necessary adjustment of these elements to take care of the slight variation in size and shape which are inevitable in practical shoemaking. At the same time these elements may be located precisely in the positions required by the style of the shoe. The advantages of this adjustability are secured in accordance with my invention by providing the rear end of the forepart platform and the forward end of the wedge heel with corresponding beveled or skived surfaces which permit these ele-' ments to be adjusted longitudinally of the shoe and relatively to each other without in any way disturbing the fine lines of the shoe, and at the same time registering properly with the opposite ends of the shoe bottom.

An important feature of the invention consists in providing the forepart platform with tabs at the opposite end of its ball line or at opposite ends of its beveled portion. After the forepart platform and the wedge heel have been spotted in place upon the shoe bottom, these tabs are folded inwardly over the forward corners of the wedge heel, thus providing a neat and attractive joint between the covering of the two elements and at the same time taking care of any slight variation occasioned by their relative adjustment. The tabs not only cover the joint and present an attractive appearance, but they substantially increase the strength of the joint and the whole shoe structure in the vicinity of the ball line.

Another important feature of my invention consists in attaching the forepart platform and the forward end of the wedge heel by a line of stitching extending through the insole, along the margin of the forepart platform, and a substantial distance into the beveled forward end of'the wedge wood heel.

Yet another advantage of the process of my invention is that it permits roughing of the margin of the cover upon the forepart platform as a stock-fitting operation performed on a flat, easily handled element. The fact that this operation is performed apart from the shoe itself is important 2. in'saving accidental damage to the upper. The steps also of covering the forepart platform and.

the wedge heel apart from the shoe are desirable" because they substantially reduce the chance of .iavingthe upper daubed with cement.

Theinventioncontemplates as an alternative featureproviding the covered heel with tabsat opposite ends of its breast line in-position tobe folded over upon the rear end of the forepart platform. 7

These and other advantages of the invention will be best understood and-appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of my novel platform shoe, together with an illustrative procedure for carrying out my process; all as illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the lasted pp Fig. 2 is a similar view of platform,

the covered forepart Fig. 3 -is-a-similar view of the covered wedge wood heel,

Fig.4. is a similar view of the lasted upper with the forepart platform and wedge heel spotted-in place,

Fig. 5 is a similar view'showing the location of the stitching,

Fig. 6 is aside viewof the finished shoe, and

Figs. '7 and 8 are plan andlongitudinal sectional views of forepart platform and wedge heel inw-hich the tabs are carried by the heel element.

In illustrating my invention I have selected a platform shoe of conservative style-and type, but itwill be understood that the invention is by no-rneans limited tothat 'or to any specific style of shoe.

The successive steps in producing the-shoe will now be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the'upper is cement lasted in. the usual manner over an insole I i secured to the bottom of a last |2.- The margin !3 of the upper is heel-seat lasted and secured to the insole by'taoks M.- The sides ofthe arestaple-lasted and secured to the insole by staples E5. The forepart of the margin is secured to the inso e by cement and then trimmed so that the whole forepart presents a substantially flat surface.

Theforenart platform, as shown in Fig.2, combody portion it) of resilient cushion material having its rear edge 51 slrived to present a long bevelupon the face which is to beoutermcst in the 'shoe. r The peripheral edge of the platform is bound withaleather orfabric cover 18 which is prepared -in strip form and: wrapped about the edges of the platform with its inturned margins cemented in place. The cover 18 extends continuously about the platform except that its upper margin is slitted to form tongues l9 which are substantially co-extensive in width with the bevel l1. These tabs 19 are left uncemented and turned up. They are formed wholly from the marginal portion of the cover and leave its outer edge surface intact. It will be apparent that the covered platform unit may be conveniently handled and may be presented in fiat condition to a roughing tool whereby either or both of the flat surfaces of the platform may be roughed preparatory to receiving cement.

The wedge heel as shown in Fig. 3 comprises a body 28 which may be of wood, or partly wood and partly resilient composition. The peripheral edge of the heel is bound by a cover 2| of the same material as the cover 18 or, if desired, with material of a contrasting color. The forward end a of the wedge heel is formed with a long bevel 22 corresponding in angle to the bevel ll of the platform.

Having prepared the lasted upper as shown in Fig. 1 and the platform and heel units as shown I in Figs. 2 and 3, the next step of the process consists in spotting the forepart platform accurately upon the bottom of the lasted upper. In this step cement is applied to the contacting surfaces and the platform is located with extreme accuracy and temporarily attached by pressure. The wedge wood heel is then similarly spotted in place, the two elements being brought together adjustably throughout their correspondingly beveled portions and thus present in all adjusted positions a straight sole line.

When the shoe has reached this stage, the last is pulled and the inside of the shoe thus made available. The next step consists in permanently attaching the wedge wood heel by a series of nails 23 driven about the heel seat and a pair of nails 24 driven through the shank portion of the heel. The tabs l9 are now folded inwardly about the overlapping ends of the platform and heel and preferably cemented in place as shown in Fig. 5. The operation of securing the forepart platform permanently in position is now effected by stitching, preferably lockstitching by the Littleway process, about the margin of the platform through the insole by a line of stitching extending rearwardly through the tabs l9 and a substantial distance into the beveled portion 22 of the wedge heel. The shoe is now ready for attachment of an outsole 26 and this may be spotted accurately upon the flat surface presented jointly by the forepart platform and the wedge heel and held in place by cement.

It will be apparent that whether the tabs are carried by the forepart platform or the wedge heel member is a matter of secondary importance. In Fig. 2 the tabs are shown as carried by the forepart platform. In Figs. 7 and 8 their position is reversed. In these figures, the forepart platform 36 is shown as provided with a cover or binding strip 3i which encloses the marginal edges of the platform and is cemented to its opposite faces. The wedge heel 32 is provided with a cover or binding strip 33 cemented to the opposite faces of the heel except at its forward end where the cover is slitted to provide tabs 34. The slit forming these tabs extends to the fold vertex of the binding strip so that the exposed marginal face of the strip is preserved intact. The rear edge of the forepart platform is herein shown as square cut though slightly inclined. The forward edge of the heel 32 is shown as provided with a shouldered recess 35 shaped to receive the rear end of the platform 30,

In assembling these parts on a shoe bottom, the wedge heel 32 is first spotted in place and then the forepart platform is positioned with its rear end received in the shouldered recess 35 of the wood heel. Then the taps 34 are folded inwardly over the rear end of the forepart platform and the shoemaking process proceeds exactly as described in connection with Figs. 5 and 6.

Having thus disclosed my invention and de scribed in detail illustrative embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A platform shoe comprising an insole, an upper lasted thereto, a forepart platform having a covered edge with oppositely disposed tabs at the ball line, a wedge wood heel overlapping the rear end of the forepart platform, a lockstitch seam attaching the said platform and also the forward end of the wood heel to the shoe bottom, the said tabs being folded inwardly over the corners of the wood heel, and an outsole cemented to the platform and heel.

2. A platform shoe including in its bottom a forepart platform beveled at its rear end, a cover binding the outer edge of said platform and having a pair of distinct tabs cut therefrom at 0pposite ends of its beveled portion, and a wedge heel beveled at its forward end and overlapping the beveled portion of the platform, the said tabs being folded inwardly over the beveled joint between the platform and the wedge heel.

3. A platform shoe including in its bottom a forepart platform beveled at its rear end, a cover binding the outer edge of said platform and having oppositely located tabs at its rear end, and a precovered wedge heel beveled at its forward end and overlapping the beveled portion of the forepart platform, the said tabs being folded inwardly over the covered front corners of the heel.

4. A platform shoe including in its bottom a forepart platform beveled at its rear end, a fiexible cover binding the outer edge of said platform with its margins cemented to the opposite flat faces thereof, the margin on the beveled face being slitted to provide tabs at both sides of the platform, and a precovered wedge heel beveled at its forward end and overlapping the beveled portion of the forepart platform, the said tabs being folded inwardly over the cover of the wedge heel at the forward end thereof.

5. A platform shoe including in its bottom overlapping beveled forepart platform and wedge heel, a cover binding the peripheral edge of the heel, a cover binding the peripheral edge of the platform and being slit to provide tabs at opposite sides adjacent to its rear end, said tabs being folded inwardly over the overlapping portions of the beveled joint between the platform and heel, and a line of stitching passing through the platform, heel and the said tabs.

6. A process of making platform shoes which is characterized b the steps of providing a forepart platform with a beveled rear edge, binding the platform with a cover which is cemented to its opposite faces, slitting the cover to its fold vertex to form tabs adjacent the beveled portion of the platform without disturbing the edge face of the cover, spotting the platform and a beveled wedge heel in overlapping relation in the shoe bottom, and then folding the tabs 8. A platform shoe including in its bottom a forepart platform having a cover binding its outer edge, and a Wedge heel overlapped at its forward edge by said platform and having tabs at opposite sides formed from the material of its cover and folded inwardly over the overlapping end of the platform.

NATHAN J. LISSAK.

No references cited. 

